Rise of the Forgotten Sun by Jon Monson

Author:Jon Monson [Monson, Jon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-10-24T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Barrick sat atop a red-tile roof, scanning the crowd of laborers and travelers that thronged the docks around the harbor. Although exhausted, his mind and, more importantly, his eyes felt invigorated. It had been too long since he’d stalked such competent prey.

This was the third time he’d lost sight of the messenger since leaving the palatial district. The man, with his drab clothing and mousy brown hair, blended in easily into the smallest of crowds. Yet each time he’d disappeared, Barrick had been able to find him again.

The harbor was a veritable orchestra of sounds – the sounds of life. Foremen shouted commands as their crews emptied ships tied to the docks. Families greeted loved ones who were returning from overseas trips. An array of animals called out, ranging from goats to chickens.

More than a few minutes had passed since he’d seen the messenger, but Barrick felt confident he was in fact heading towards the large steamship whose smokestacks were already belching out a thick cloud of exhaust. It was never prudent to rely completely on information obtained while hiding in a stranger’s wardrobe. Smiling, Barrick readied himself to lurch back to the street.

The messenger burst out of the crowd, walking away from the docks. There was a smile on his face – a smile that said the man had pawned off a most unfortunate duty to some poor soul. Barrick frowned. Things may have just grown more complicated.

Well, now it's time to make a choice, old boy, Barrick thought. He could keep following the man in the event he was being duped, or he could trust his instincts and board the ship. Barrick chose the latter.

His feet hit the pavement of a small alleyway, and his stomach offered its usual protest. After a few flips, it settled back down. Wondering if other Lurchers experienced the same discomfort, Barrick strolled casually into the crowd of life.

It felt good be a part of the crowd for a moment. He breathed in the smell – it was far from pleasant, but it was bursting with life. These were real people, the kind that Aydiin always spoke about helping.

Barrick reminded himself that he was here for a purpose and he needed to avoid waxing philosophical. All that time with Aydiin had done strange things to his mind. Now wasn’t the time to grow sympathetic to the plight of the common man.

Muscling his way through the crowd, Barrick was sweating by the time he approached the ticket box - a wood stall with a glass window separating the clerks within from the unwashed masses. Barrick smiled at the young man inside.

“Say, my good man, when does the next ship leave?” Barrick asked in his best imitation of a Genodran merchant. He had spent enough time with them over the years in Maradon, so his best was fairly convincing.

“The next ship is the Maiden, an Albonan steamship leaving for Maradon in twenty minutes,” the young clerk said, with a raised eyebrow. Apparently, his Genodran merchant impersonation wasn’t as good as he had thought.

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